EUROLakes project proposes an innovative, holistic, and science-based approach to safeguarding and restoring European natural lakes and their ecosystems. This project builds upon the 4 Returns Framework for Landscape Restoration, a practical methodology designed to seek sustainable, long-term solutions at the landscape level, with the aim of achieving four types of returns: inspiration, social benefits, natural restoration, and financial gains. This holistic approach is realized through five key elements: establishing a landscape partnership, fostering shared understanding, collaboratively envisioning the landscape, taking coordinated action, and continuously monitoring and learning. The EUROLakes project will establish local communities of practice and, in collaboration with them, develop and showcase innovative, integrated protection and restoration solutions, with a particular focus on nature-based solutions (NBS). These solutions will be demonstrated in three specific areas: Lake Vico in Italy, Lake Bistreţ in Romania, and Lake Dümmer in Germany. Furthermore, the project will highlight the long-term potential for replication by enhancing local capacity in Denmark, Ireland, and Moldova. These approaches will be complemented by modeling activities and the dissemination of knowledge regarding nature finance, contributing to a comprehensive adaptive management strategy aimed at restoring the ecological and chemical health of natural lakes to a "good" status. In this way, the EUROLakes project will directly contribute to the objectives of various EU instruments and policies, including the Water Framework Directive, the Green Deal, and its Mission objective to "restore, protect, and preserve the health of our oceans, seas, and waters by 2030."